Working through some files and came across this Interrogation Check Sheet from F/O Herbert W. Ballinger 439th TCG 93rd TCSand co pilot F/O Alfred E. Briggs also of the 439th TCG 93 TCS. His report highlights the infantry role the glider pilots assumed upon landing I discussed at length in Suicide Jockeys: The Making of the WWII Combat Glider Pilot. The date of the report was 25 March 1945 - the operation was Varsity. The landing field had fences and hedges and there were no o

Driving into town traffic came to a stop and I watched as the truck behind me could not stop in time. I was jarred pretty good, my neck snapped back pretty hard but I found myself acting normally as we exchanged information. It was only later that I realized my thinking was really foggy, I had a terrible headache and carrying my bag made my shoulders burn. Of course my thoughts went to the glider pilots who crashed often, often blacked out, came to and picked up their weapon

The 1st Air Commandos in the China Burma India Theater included gliders in their air support for Wingate's troops. The Japanese had...